Hanson and the excellent Wuppertal Symphony turn their attention to some rare Respighi here and with quite satisfying results.

The late 'Metamorphoseon' come alive splendidly in this characterful reading that shows the intrinsic density of the Italian composer's brilliant orchestration. Respighi was also wont to borrow from other composers with very satisfying results as the 'Rossiniana' demonstrates. The short fiery 'Burlesca' precedes a dramatically charged and highly emotional reading of the Bach Passacglia that has just received a spankingly excellent new recording with Leonard Slatkin on Chandos.

Hanson's reading is old fashioned and charged in a way that is quite similar to Pierre Monteaux's marginally more distant reading with the Chicago Symphony that remains first choice for this piece of Bach memorabilia. Otherwise, Hanson and the Wuppertal players are charismatic exponents of this music that is superbly engineered and presented in typical MD&G manner.